Accessory holder for use in vehicles

ABSTRACT

A holder for a personal accessory such as a purse, handbag or the like is specially adapted for suspension between the seatbacks of a vehicle having individual (or split) seats. A bag-type body, open on a generally upper edge, is supported by two straps configured for adjustable attachment to the head restraint support posts of the opposing seats of a vehicle. In another embodiment, adapter loops are provided for securing the suspension straps to the headrests of a vehicle whose seatbacks have an integral headrest (or head restraint). The adapter loops adjustably fit around the base of the head restraint and may include a D-ring or the like for convenient attachment of the suspension straps. In certain embodiments, one or more pockets may be provided on an outer surface of the holder for smaller personal accessories such as mobile telephones, music players and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to automotive accessories. More particularly, itrelates to personal accessory holders which may be removably attached tothe seats of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art

The placement of a personal accessory such as a purse or handbag in anautomotive vehicle often presents problems for the user. Placement on aseat prevents use of that seat by a passenger and the purse or handbagis subject to tipping over or even sliding off the seat during breakingmaneuvers due to the momentum of the bag. Placement on the floor of thevehicle often results in the bag being out of reach of the driver andstill subject to tipping. Placement on a console between the seats of avehicle having individual front seats may prevent use of the console asan armrest, interfere with vehicle controls on the console, and/or besubject to tipping over or sliding off the console during braking oracceleration of the vehicle.

One proposed solution to this problem is a handbag holder for supportinga purse in an upright condition upon a vehicle seat described in U.S.Pat. No. 6,896,164. The handbag holder described in this patent includesan open-topped box dimensioned to receive a purse and a strap forsupporting the open-topped box. The open-topped box has: a bottom panel,a front panel secured to the bottom panel with a hinge and extendingupwardly from the bottom panel, a back panel secured to the bottom panelwith a hinge at a location remote from the front panel and extendingupwardly from the bottom panel, and at least one elastic stripconnecting the front panel and the back panel together at a height abovethe bottom panel. The opposed ends of the strap are connected to theback panel so as to form a loop for encircling a support like theheadrest of a vehicle seat.

When in its non-stored configuration, this device occupies a seat,preventing use of that seat by a passenger. Moreover, the device must besized to fit the particular seat to which it is attached. In order forthis handbag holder to rest on the seat with its bottom panel againstthe seat bottom cushion and its back panel upright against the seat backcushion, the strap which encircles the headrest must be a certain, fixedlength. The present invention overcomes these problems

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A generally pocket-shaped personal accessory holder has suspension meanswhich are adapted to attach to the headrest or head restraint supportsof two side-by-side vehicle seats. The holder may occupy the unusedspace between the seats of a vehicle having split front seats—i.e., two,independent seats which may have a console between them. The holderpositions a purse, handbag or similar item for ready access by eitherthe driver or passenger. In certain embodiments, weights and/orstiffeners within the various panels of the holder assist in maintainingthe shape of the device for easy insertion and removal of a personalaccessory. Strap-type adapters may be provided for vehicles havingheadrests or head restraints that are integral with the seat back. Suchadapters may include a D-ring for attaching the suspension straps of thepurse holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the inventioninstalled in a vehicle equipped with head restraints having exposedsupport posts.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A is a front elevation of an adapter for use in a vehicle equippedwith head restraints that are integral with the seat backs.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a rear elevation of the adapter shown in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the holder of FIG. 1 shown installed in avehicle equipped with head restraints having exposed support posts.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the installed embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the installed embodiment shown inFIGS. 1-5.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of a holder according to one embodiment ofthe invention installed with adapters in a vehicle equipped with headrestraints that are integral with the seat backs.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation of the holder shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the installed embodiment shown inFIGS. 7 and 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention may best be understood by reference to one particularpreferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing figures. In thedrawings, personal accessory holder 10 is shown installed in a vehiclehaving a pair of side-by-side split seats S with a console C occupyingthe space between them. Seats S are supported by frame R mounted tofloor F of the vehicle. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the seats are equipped withhead restraints H supported on exposed posts or brackets B attached toseatbacks S. Brackets B may provide height adjustment of head restraintsH. A pair of brackets B may be used on each seat, there being an inboardbracket B and an outboard bracket B on the top of each seatback S.

Holder 10 comprises back panel 12, bottom panel 14 and a pair ofopposing side panels 16 which may include pleated section 18. Holder 10may be a generally rectangular, bag-shaped structure made of anysuitable material. Flexible materials are particularly preferred,examples of which include leather, vinyl, fabrics, and mesh material.Composite materials may also be used. In certain embodiments, selectedpanels of holder 10 may be of sandwich-type construction having an innerand outer layer of a flexible material or materials surrounding astiffener 15 which may be cardboard, a sheet of synthetic resin or thelike. Such stiffened panels may hold a desired shape more readily thanpanels made solely of flexible materials.

As shown in FIG. 1, holder 10 may have a pair of opposing support straps20 attached at or near the upper, outboard corners of back panel 12.Support straps 20 may be in a loop configuration with one end attachedto back panel 12 and another end attached to a corner of front panel 24.Closure 22 may be provided to open the loop comprising support strap 20and pass it around support post B of headrest H. Support strap 20 mayinclude sliding adjustment means for selectively adjusting the length ofsupport strap 20 and thus the height of holder 10 above floor F and/orconsole C. Support strap 20 may be made of any suitable material. In oneparticular preferred embodiment, support straps 20 are constructed ofnylon strap material and closures 22 are plastic parachute clasps.

In one preferred embodiment, the inner surface of back panel 12 is linedwith a fabric having a relatively low coefficient of friction such asrayon acetate. This allows an item such as purse P to be more easilyslipped into the pocket formed by holder 10. In use, the person carryingpurse or handbag P may press it rearward against the exposed surface ofback panel 12 (see FIG. 2) thereby expanding side panels 16 and openingthe cavity of holder 10. Purse P may then slide down the inner surfaceof back panel 12 until in comes to rest on bottom panel 14. The innersurface of front panel 24 and/or that of bottom panel 14 are constructedof material having a relatively high coefficient of friction such assuede or a high-nap fabric. Selection of such materials may help toprevent purse P from sliding around inside holder 10 when the vehiclerounds a corner or is otherwise subjected to lateral forces.

Side panels 16 may be provided with elastic members and/or pleats 18 topermit expansion and contraction of the opening to the pocket formed byopposed side panels 16, bottom panel 14 back panel 12 and front panel24.

In certain embodiments, front panel 24 may comprise one or more weights17 which urge particularly the upper edge of front panel 24 to hang openin a catenary configuration when holder 10 is suspended from a vehicle'shead restraints (or head restraint mounting). Having holder 10 assumethis configuration has been found to facilitate the insertion of apurse, handbag or other object into the interior cavity of holder 10.The weighted section(s) may comprise one or more pieces of relativelydense material sewn into front panel 24. Alternatively, pockets may beprovided in front panel 24 for the insertion of weights. Examples ofsuitable weighting material include metals, metal alloys, ceramics, andvarious minerals (including, but not limited to sand).

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, front panel 24 and/or back panel 12 may beequipped with one or more external pockets 25 for holding smallerpersonal accessories such as mobile telephones, pagers, portable musicplayers, and the like.

In wider vehicles such as trucks and full-sized SUV's, support straps 20may be attached to the inboard headrest support posts B while in morenarrow vehicles support straps 20 may be attached to the outboardheadrest support posts B. In this way it may be possible to avoid havingto adjust the length of support loops 20.

FIGS. 7-9 depict a holder 10 of the same design as that illustrated inFIGS. 1-3, but installed in a vehicle having seats with an integral headrestraint I-i.e., the head restraints in this vehicle do not haveexposed mounting posts B around which support straps 20 may be looped.

To accommodate this configuration, adapter loops 32, as shown in FIGS.2A and 3A, may be provided which are configured for installation aroundthe base of integral headrest I. Adapter loops 32 may be in the form ofa strip of flexible material provided at each end with a fastener forsecuring one end to another so as to form a loop. In one preferredembodiment, fastener 36 may be a VELCRO® hook-and-loop type fastenersewn to the material forming adapter loop 32. This type of fastener iswell-adapted for selectively adjusting the length of adapter loop 32 tofit the outer circumference of integral headrest I.

Adapter loops 32 may be provided with D-rings 34 through which supportstraps 20 may be looped. In this way a single configuration of holder 10may be used in vehicles having either headrests that are integral withthe seatbacks or supported on adjustable mounting posts.

It will be appreciated that use of the invention is not limited tovehicles having split-type seating arrangements. A holder according tothe present invention may be used on bench type seats as well. In thisconfiguration, holder 10 may be suspended from the outboard headrestsabove the seat bottom cushion and back panel 12 may rest against theseat back cushion.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference tocertain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist withinthe scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in thefollowing claims.

1. A personal accessory holder comprising: an open-topped containerdimensioned to receive a personal accessory, the open-topped containerhaving: a bottom panel; a front panel attached to the bottom panel andextending upwardly therefrom; a back panel attached to the bottom panelat a location remote from the front panel and extending upwardly fromthe bottom panel; and, a pair of opposing side panels connecting thefront panel and the back panel together; an opposing pair of supportstraps, each strap having opposed ends connected to the container so asto form a loop for encircling a support and each support strap having aclasp for opening and closing the loop.
 2. The personal accessory holderaccording to claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the back panel has arelatively lower coefficient of friction with a personal accessorycontained within the container and the inner surface of the bottom panelhas a relatively higher coefficient of friction with the same personalaccessory contained within the container.
 3. The personal accessoryholder according to claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the back panelis smooth relative to the inner surface of the bottom panel.
 4. Thepersonal accessory holder according to claim 1 wherein the inner surfaceof the back panel is smooth relative to the inner surface of the frontpanel
 5. The personal accessory holder according to claim 1 furthercomprising weights in the front panel positioned such that the upperedge of the front panel hangs open relative to the back panel when thecontainer is suspended by the support straps.
 6. A personal accessoryholder, comprising: an open-topped fabric bag dimensioned to receive apersonal accessory, the open-topped bag having: bottom panel being thebottom wall of the open-topped bag; a front panel secured at the bottomthereof to the front of the bottom panel, the front panel being thefront wall of the open-topped bag; a back panel secured at the bottomthereof to the back of the bottom panel, the back panel being the backwall of the open-topped bag; and, a pair of opposing side panelsattached to the front panel and the back panel the side panels being theside walls of the open-topped bag; and, an opposing pair of supportstraps, each strap having opposed ends connected to the fabric bag so asto form a loop for encircling a support and each support strap having aclasp for opening and closing the loop.
 7. The personal accessory holderaccording to claim 6 wherein the back panel comprises a fabric sheathencasing a stiffener.
 8. The personal accessory holder according toclaim 7 further comprising at least one elastic member in each sidepanel configured such that the front panel is urged generally toward theback panel.
 9. The personal accessory holder according to claim 6wherein the inner surface of the back panel has a relatively lowercoefficient of friction with a personal accessory contained within thecontainer and the inner surface of the bottom panel has a relativelyhigher coefficient of friction with the same personal accessorycontained within the container.
 10. The personal accessory holderaccording to claim 6 wherein the inner surface of the back panel issmooth relative to the inner surface of the bottom panel.
 11. Thepersonal accessory holder according to claim 6 wherein the inner surfaceof the back panel is smooth relative to the inner surface of the frontpanel
 12. The personal accessory holder according to claim 6 furthercomprising weights in the front panel positioned such that the upperedge of the front panel hangs open relative to the back panel when thecontainer is suspended by the support straps.
 13. The personal accessoryholder according to claim 6 wherein the bottom panel comprises a fabricsheath encasing a stiffener.
 14. The personal accessory holder accordingto claim 13 wherein the stiffener comprises cardboard.
 15. A personalaccessory holder, comprising: an open-topped container dimensioned toreceive a personal accessory, the open-topped container having: a bottompanel being the bottom wall of the open-topped container; a front panelsecured at the bottom thereof to the front of the bottom panel, thefront panel being the front wall of the open-topped container; a backpanel secured at the bottom thereof to the back of the bottom panel, theback panel being the back wall of the open-topped container; and, a pairof opposing side panels each connected to the front panel and the backpanel and forming the side walls of the open-topped box; an opposingpair of support straps, each strap having opposed ends connected to thecontainer so as to form a loop through a connecting ring and eachsupport strap having a clasp for opening and closing the loop; and, apair of adapter loops sized and configured to encircle the base of anintegral head restraint on a vehicle seat back, each adapter loopcomprising a connecting ring for attaching a support strap.
 16. Thepersonal accessory holder according to claim 15 further comprising anadjustable fastener for opening, closing and adjusting the size of anadapter loop.
 17. The personal accessory holder according to claim 16wherein the adjustable fastener comprises a hook-and-loop type fastener.18. The personal accessory holder according to claim 15 wherein theconnecting rings are D-rings.
 19. A personal accessory holder as recitedin claim 1 further comprising at least one external pocket on the frontpanel of the holder.
 20. A personal accessory holder as recited in claim1 further comprising at least one external pocket on the rear panel ofthe holder.